Europe COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 30,000

April 1, 2020 April 1, 2020

TOPSHOT - Members of the Charitable Brotherhood of Saint-Eloi de Bethune, each wearing a face mask, carry a coffin towards a grave, at Pierrette cemetery in Bethune, on March 27, 2020, as the country is under lockdown to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. - Founded in 1188, the Charitables have for eight centuries taken care of funerals for the inhabitants of Bethune regardless of religion or wealth. Rarely, though, are they done behind almost-closed doors. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP)

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 30,000 people in Europe, more than three-quarters of the deaths registered in Italy and Spain, according to an AFP tally at 0700 GMT Wednesday using official figures.

A total of 30,063 deaths have been recorded in Europe out of 458,601 cases, making it the continent hit hardest by COVID-19.

The most deaths were recorded in Italy, with 12,428 fatalities, followed by Spain with 8,189 and France with 3,523.

The latest European figures come just a few hours after the United States announced its death toll had risen to 4,076, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

That is more than twice the 2,010 recorded late Saturday and higher than the death toll in China, where the disease first emerged late last year.

It is worth noting that the world coronavirus cases have reached 862,573 with 42,528 deaths and 179,127 recovered patients.